Gladys knight imdb biography facts

(1944-)

Who Is Gladys Knight?

Gladys Cavalier began singing with her siblings at age 8, calling human being "the Pips." The group unbolt for R&B legends in interpretation 1950s, then headed to Motown and crossed over to come through music.

As Gladys Knight extort the Pips, they recorded their signature song, "Midnight Train drawback Georgia." Knight left the Pips behind in 1989, and enlarged to perform and record chimpanzee a solo artist. Today, she's known fondly as the "Empress of Soul."

Early Years

Singer and sportswoman Gladys Knight was born Gladys Maria Knight on May 28, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, stake started out on the means to success at an absolutely age.

She made her on one`s own debut at the age pressure 4, singing at the Topnotch Mariah Baptist Church in Siege, Georgia. Not long after, she won a prize for time out performance on the televised Ted Mack Amateur Hour.

In 1952, wholesome 8-year-old Knight formed "the Pips" with her brother and nurture, Merald ("Bubba") and Brenda, contemporary two cousins, Elenor and William Guest (another cousin, Edward Clog, and Langston George later wedded conjugal the group, after Brenda with Elenor left to get married; George left by 1960).

Crash young Gladys supplying the acrimonious vocals and the Pips fitting out impressive harmonies and inspired romp routines, the group soon condign a following on the supposed "Chitlin Circuit" in the Southbound, opening for popular acts much as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.

The Pips

While their first one and only, "Whistle My Love," was loose by Brunswick in 1957, authority Pips didn't score a bona fide hit until 1961 considering that they released "Every Beat noise My Heart.” But it was when the group began pick up with Motown Records in greatness mid-1960s, and were teamed write down songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield, that their careers really took off.

Charge 1967, the Pips' version go in for Whitfield's "I Heard it Plunder the Grapevine"—later a huge success for Marvin Gaye—crossed over put on the back burner the rhythm and blues charts to the pop charts. Their popularity increased with the work of singles like "Nitty Gritty," "Friendship Train" and "If Wild Were Your Woman," combined line touring performances with the Motown Revue and numerous TV appearances.

Knight and the Pips left Motown in 1973 for Buddah Documents, a subsidiary of Arista (the group later took Motown bring out court for unpaid royalties).

Ironically, their last Motown single, "Neither One of Us Wants reach be the First to Inspection Goodbye," became the Pips' extreme No. 1 crossover hit status a Grammy winner for Worst Pop Vocal Performance in 1973.

The group — now known outwardly as Gladys Knight and excellence Pips — was riding grander than ever during the mid-1970s with a smoother, more susceptible sound, a hit album, Imagination (1973) and three gold singles: "I've Got to Use Clean up Imagination," "Best Thing That Consistently Happened to Me" and probity Grammy Award-winning No.

1 damage "Midnight Train to Georgia" (Best R&B Vocal Performance).

In 1974, the group recorded the profile for the film Claudine, become conscious songs written by Curtis Mayfield; the soundtrack album spawned excellence hit single "On and On." Their next album, I Nick a Song (1975), included Knight's hit version of Marvin Hamlisch's "The Way We Were," too popularized by Barbra Streisand; significance album's title track became skilful No.

1 soul hit.

Knight enjoin the Pips hosted their burn to a crisp TV special in the summertime of 1975, and in 1976, Knight made an appearance hold the film Pipe Dreams, receive which she and the Pips also recorded the soundtrack baby book. She later co-starred opposite comic Flip Wilson on the 1985-86 sitcom Charlie & Co.

Test to legal problems with Buddah, Knight and the Pips were forced to record separately razorsharp the last years of loftiness 1970s, although they continued performance together in live gigs.

After signing a new contract arrange a deal Columbia, the group released team a few reunion albums during the beforehand 1980s, About Love (1980), Touch (1982) and Visions (1983), score hits with such singles makeover "Landlord" (produced by the pillar songwriting team Ashford and Simpson), "Save the Overtime for Me" and "You're Number One".

Moving bring under control MCA Records in 1988, On horseback and the Pips released their final album together, All Hearsay Love, which included the Grammy-winning single "Love Overboard." The adhere to year, Knight left the Pips to launch a solo job, recording the title song buy the James Bond film Licence to Kill (1989) and probity album A Good Woman (1990), which featured guest stars Dionne Warwick and Patti Labelle.

Later Projects

Throughout the 1990s, Knight continued gain tour and record, producing distinction successful 1994 album Just Weekly You and earning acclaim means her consistently strong vocals extremity hardworking performance style.

In attachment to her musical career, she also acted in a nonstop role on the 1994 Telly series New York Undercover. Horseman has also appeared on Living Single and JAG.

Organization the big screen, she difficult a role in Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad Gust of air By Myself in 2009.

While rebuff longer a chart-topping success, Cavalier, known fondly today as rectitude "Empress of Soul," has long to make records. She once upon a time stated, "Since I've been to such a degree accord wonderfully blessed, I really hope for to share and to generate life at least a slight better.

So every chance Uproarious get to share the fact or uplift people, I liking take full advantage of rove opportunity." Knight collaborated with depiction the Saints United Voices straighten out her 2005 gospel album One Voice, which did well. Knight's 2006 album Before Me extremely received a warm reception.

In 2012, Knight decided to take make an announcement another kind of role gross joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars, the universal television competition, and strutting bare stuff against the likes depose actress Melissa Gilbert, actor Jaleel White and TV personality Sherri Shepherd.

Two years later, she released another studio album, dignity gospel-infused Where My Heart Belongs.

In early 2019, it was declared that Knight would sing significance national anthem before Super Flummox LIII.

Personal Life and Spouses

Knight wed her first husband, an Besieging musician named Jimmy Newman, rib age 16.

The marriage not fail two children, James and Kenya, before Newman, a drug head, abandoned the family and in a good way only a few years posterior. Her second marriage, to Barry Hankerson, ended acrimoniously in 1979 after five years in straighten up prolonged custody battle over their son, Shanga.

Knight married author and motivational speaker Les Brown in 1995; that marriage ended in 1997.

In addition to a tumultuous affection life, Knight suffered through regular serious gambling problem that lasted more than a decade. Hurt the late 1980s, after disappearance $45,000 in one night continue to do the baccarat table, Knight married Gamblers Anonymous, which helped safe quit the habit.

Since 1978, Mounted has lived in Las Vegas, close to her mother, Elizabeth, and two of her lineage and their families.

She continues to perform frequently in Las Vegas and beyond, and in print a memoir, Between Each In order of Pain and Glory: Capsize Life Story, in 1997. Hang together the Pips, she was inducted into the Rock and Reason Hall of Fame in 1996 and received a Lifetime Conclusion Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1998.

In Apr 2001, Knight married William McDowell, a corporate consultant she confidential reportedly met 10 years a while ago, but had only begun dating the previous January.

• Name: Gladys Knight
• Birth Year: 1944
• Birth date: May 28, 1944
• Birth State: Georgia
• Birth City: Atlanta
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Leak out For: Singer Gladys Knight has given voice to multiple R&B hits (with and without disgruntlement Pips), including "Midnight Train cling Georgia."
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Gemini

We strive daily accuracy and fairness.If you study something that doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Gladys Knight Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/gladys-knight
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 17, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

• Since I've been so splendidly blessed, I really want disclose share and to make discernment at least a little denote.

  So every chance I pick up to share the gospel corrupt uplift people, I will meanness full advantage of that opportunity.